Year-End Practice Checklist for Therapy Clinics

Get ready for the 2027 CPT code set

The AMA released the CPT 2027 code set on September 9, 2026, and the new codes take effect on January 1, 2027. Review the codes your practice bills most, how timed and untimed codes and units work, and the modifiers you rely on, then check them against the 2027 code set and your payers' policies.

• CPT codes for PT, OT & speech therapy

Source: AMA: CPT 2027 code set released

Clean up claims and denials before year-end

Most denials are preventable and follow predictable patterns: missing authorizations or referrals, typos and mismatched patient or payer details, and missed timely filing limits. Work open claims and unpaid balances now, before they age into the new year.

• How to reduce claim denials
• Find billing revenue leaks
• Secondary insurance billing

Switching software? Plan the move before January

Losing records during a switch is almost always preventable; most problems come from skipped planning steps. Inventory what has to move, from clinical records and treatment plans to billing history and insurance authorizations, and build the plan before you pick a switch-over date.

• How to switch practice management software
• Migrating to a new platform
• Onboarding

Review credentialing and payer enrollment for the new year

Most commercial payers pull your credentialing data from CAQH ProView, and you must re-attest every 120 days. If attestation lapses, payers can't pull your data and applications stall, so update licenses, malpractice coverage and addresses, then re-attest.

• Insurance credentialing guide

Run your annual HIPAA and compliance review

Repeat your security risk assessment at least annually and whenever you adopt new technology or change workflows. Use the same review to check staff training, business associate agreements, documentation standards and audit readiness.

• HIPAA compliance checklist
• Therapy practice compliance guide

Re-verify eligibility when plans and deductibles reset

Coverage lapses at the start of a new plan year, deductibles reset and benefits shift, so coverage you verified in December can be invalid in January. Re-verify at the start of each plan year and whenever a patient tells you their insurance changed.

• Insurance eligibility verification
• Billing software for therapists

Check telehealth rules for the new year

Under CMS's Telehealth FAQ, Medicare's telehealth flexibilities run through December 31, 2027, including patients receiving telehealth anywhere in the U.S. and the extended list of practitioners who may bill for it. State licensure, consent and reimbursement rules differ, so check your state too.

• Telehealth laws by state

Source: CMS Telehealth FAQ (updated 2/26/26)